Container



Aug. 29, 1967 M. H. SMITH 3,333,459

CONTAINER Filed Jan. 4, 1966 V INVENTOR. MALCOLM hf SM/ T H ATTORNEYUnited States Patent 3,338,459 CONTAINER Malcolm H. Smith, Monroe, La.,assignor, by mesne assignments, to Olinkraft, Inc., West Monroe, La., acorporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 518,678 8 Claims.(Cl. 220-66) ABSTRACT OF TIH'J DISCLOSURE The disclosure teaches a rigidcontainer adapted to hold a product and characterized by having anopening on the lower portion of one of the side walls thereof, a troughon the inner surface of the base and a raised floor inclined towardssaid opening.

The present invention relates to a container adapted to hold a product.More particularly, the present invention relates to a rigid containerparticularly adapted to hold disposable receptacles of the type shown inUS. Patent 3,206,105 by Malcolm H. Smith.

The rigid containers of the present invention are particularly adaptedto hold disposable receptacles of the type having a square-bottom paperbag in combination with an internal bladder or skin of plastic material.These disposable receptacles are useful to package free flowing solidsor liquids, such as milk (wet or dry), motor oil, antifreeze, liquiddetergents and bleaches, non-carbonated beverages, distilled water andso forth.

The disposable receptacles are particularly useful in packaging milk forhome delivery. These disposable receptacles have enjoyed considerablesuccess in bulk volume milk packaging for home delivery, for example, ina ten quart square-bottom paper bag containing an internal bladder andhaving a saddle style paperboard carry handle.

The disposable receptacle is conventionally carried by the milk routemanto home delivery customers. The user inserts the disposable receptaclein a rigid container kept leakage in the disposable receptacle. This maybe done by a plurality of holes on the bottom of the container. Whilethese holes achieve the purpose, in the event of a leak the milk wouldseep through the holes and cause i been found that the foregoing objectsand advantages of in a refrigerator. The disposable receptacle isequipped with a dispenser valve which is fitted in an opening on thebottom of the rigid container. When the milk has been deplete-d from thedisposable receptacle, the disposable receptacle is simply discarded anda fresh one inserted. The new supply can be stored by stacking it on topof the partially depleted disposable receptacle.

This system possesses certain distinct advantages. The milk stays freshfor long periods in the home largely due to the fact that the milk isnot continually removed and replaced in the refrigerator. In addition,the milk is permanently protected from the deleterious effects of light.Another important factor in preserving freshness is the absence of airwith the plastic bag. The air is exhausted during filling and duringgravity-flow dispensing the sealed bag collapses as its contents aredepleted.

Other factors in the success of this system are its inexpensiveness andconvenience.

One of the disadvantages of the system, however, has been found to be inthe characteristics of the rigid container.

The rigid container should preferably be inclined towards the valveopening or be forward tilted in order to insure complete drainage of thecontents of the disposable receptacle. conventionally, this is achievedby providing molded in, elongated re'ar legs on the rigid container.This effectively achieves the purpose, but results in a rigid containerwhich is permanently on an incline or on an angle.

An additional disadvantage of conventional rigid containers is thefollowing. Means should preferably be provided on the bottom of thecontainer to allow for possible the present invention may be readilyachieved. The'container of the present invention is a container adaptedto hold a product, said container having a generally rectangular baseand side walls, one of said side walls having an opening on the lowerportion thereof, said base having a trough on the inner surface thereof,and a raised floor inclined towards said opening. The trough ispreferably an annular groove which circumscribes the raised floor. Inthe preferred embodiment, the container comprises a pair of bowl-like,rigid sections adapted to be assembled with their open mouths inopposition and secured together to provide a closed container or to bedetached and nested when empty.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become moreapparent from an examination of the succeeding specification when readin conjunction with the appended drawings in which: i

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the container of the present invention withcertain portions thereof broken away for clarity;

FIGURE 2 is a partial sectional side view of the bottom portion of thecontainer of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the container of the present invention withcertain portions thereof broken away for clarity;

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional front view of the bottom portion ofthecontainer of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the container of the present invention isshown generally at 10 and comprises an upper or top bowl-like section 11and a lower or bottom bowl-like section 12. The upper section has agenerally rectangular base 13 and trapezoidal side walls 14 whichdiverge slightly from the base towards a somewhat larger open mouth.Rectangular base 13 is preferably fiat and has a recessed portion 26 forstorage of materials on top of the container. Similarly, the lowersection 12 has a generally rectangular base 15 and trapezoidal sidewalls16 which diverge slightly from the base toward a somewhat largeropen mouth. Representative dimensions of a typical assembled containerof the present invention are: 10

'as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3. Alternatively, the upper section 11 andlower section 12 may be detached and nested when empty.

In order to secure together the upper section 11 and the lower section12, the upper section 11 has secured thereto a rim element 17 and thelower section 12 has secured thereto a rim element 18, said rim elementshaving complementary interfittable edge configurations for forming atight joint between said sections in their assembled relationship. Ascan be seen, each rim has an uninterrupted endless peripheral surface 19and 20 defining the major transverse dimension of each section.

The lower section 12 has an opening 21 on the lower portion of one ofits side walls, preferably on one corner of the side wall as shown inFIGURE 3.

The base of the lower section has a trough or groove 22 on the innersurface there-of. In addition, the base 15 of the lower section 12 has araised fioor 23 inclined towards opening 21. Preferably, the trough orgroove 22 is an annular groove which circumscribes the raised floor 23.As shown in the drawings, the raised floor 23 is inclined so that allportions of said raised floor are inclined towards opening 21. Thisinsures complete drainage of the contents of the disposable receptaclein container 10.

As clearly shown in FIGURE 1, container holds a disposable receptacle 24having valve 25 which fits in opening 21.

As can be clearly seen from an examination of the drawings, thecontainer of the present invention provides numerous advantages overconventional containers. The floor is inclined so that complete drainageof the contents are insured without the necessity for the entirecontainer itself to be tilted. In addition, the trough 22 provides forleakage without the disadvantage of having holes on the bottom of thecontainer. In addition, the fact that the floor is inclined in twodirections, laterally and transversely, insures complete drainage of thecontents of the disposable receptacle.

As can be readily appreciated, in use simply the bottom section 12 maybe utilized or both the bottom section 12 and the top section 11 may beutilized.

This invention may be embodied in other forms or carried out in otherways without departing from the spirit or essential characteristicsthereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered as in allrespects illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the inventionbeing indicated by the appended claims, and all changes which comewithin the meaning and range of equivalency are intended to be embracedtherein.

What is claimed is:

1. A container adapted to hold a product comprising a pair of bowl-like,rigid sections, each having a generally rectangular base and trapezoidalside walls which diverge slightly from the base toward a somewhat largeropen mouth, said sections being adapted to be assembled with their openmouths in opposition and secured together to provide a closed containeror to be detached and nested when empty, an opening on the lower portionof one of said side Walls of said bottom section, an endless annulargroove on the inner surface of the base of said bottom section, and araised inclined floor circumscribed by said groove, said floor beinginclined towards said opening.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein each of said sections hassecured thereto a rim element having complementary interfittable edgeconfigurations for forming a tight joint between said sections in theirassembled relationship.

3. A container according to claim 2 wherein each rim has anuninterrupted endless peripheral surface defining the major transversedimension of said section.

4. A container according to claim 1 wherein said bowl-.

like sections comprises a pair of top and bottom bowllike containersections of approximately equal height.

5. A container according to claim 1 wherein the opening is on one cornerof said side wall and wherein all portions of said raised floor areinclined towards said opening.

6. A container according to claim 1 wherein the base of said stopsection has a recessed portion.

7. A container adapted to hold a product comprising a 'pair ofbowl-like, rigid sections, each having a generally rectangular base andtrapezoidal side walls which diverge slightly from the base towards asomewhat larger open mouth, said sections being adapted to be assembledwith their open mouths in opposition and secured together to provide aclosed container or to be detached and nested when empty, an opening onthe lower portion of one of said side walls of said bottom section, atrough on the inner surface of the base of said bottom section, and araised floor inclined towards said opening.

8. A container according to claim 7 wherein said trough is an annulargroove.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,172,570 3/1965 Lipschutz 229-14THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

JAMES B. MARBERT, Examiner.

1. A CONTAINER ADAPTED TO HOLD A PRODUCT COMPRISING A PAIR OF BOWL-LIKE,RIGID SECTIONS, EACH HAVING A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR BASE AND TRAPEZOIDALSIDE WALLS WHICH DIVERGE SLIGHTLY FROM THE BASE TOWARD A SOMEWHAT LARGEROPEN MOUTH, SAID SECTIONS BEING ADAPTED TO BE ASSEMBLED WITH THEIR OPENMOUTHS IN OPPOSITION AND SECURED TOGETHER TO PROVIDE A CLOSED CONTAINEROR TO BE DETACHED AND NESTED WHEN EMPTY, AN OPENING ON THE LOWER PORTIONOF ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS OF SAID BOTTOM SECTION, AN ENDLESS ANNULARGROOVE ON THE INNER SURFACE OF THE BASE OF SAID BOTTOM SECTION, AND ARAISED INCLINED FLOOR CIRCUMSCRIBED BY SAID GROOVE, SAID FLOOR BEINGINCLINED TOWARDS SAID OPENING.